#IPA2017: Ghana looks into investing in homegrown Innovation

The 6th edition of the prestigious Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA2017) is taking place in Accra Ghana from today 17th to 18th of July 2017. The event themed “African Innovation: Investing in Prosperity,” is a gathering of top innovators in Africa.

The event which is under the support of the president of Ghana, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Ghana Investment Promotion Center (GIPC) and Ghana 60 Years On Planning Committee in partnership with the African Innovation Foundation (AIF) brought the country’s top innovation leaders together at a roundtable to discuss the important opportunities in supporting local innovation.

According to Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, Ghana’s partnership with AIF in hosting IPA2017 will raise the country’s innovation profile at a pan-African and international level. He also reiterated the government’s commitment towards driving socio-economic growth and prosperity through innovation.

The roundtable panel discussion highlighted the need to drive local innovation and entrepreneurship in Ghana, turning challenges into new opportunities, and the need to provide appropriate financing solutions to catalyse Ghanaian innovators and scale home-grown innovations and ways to promote innovation in the key sectors of the economy.

“Ghana has been a frontrunner in the technology and innovation race, and today’s panel discussion is a strong indication that its leaders, innovation enablers and even the diaspora, are aligned in their quest to take home grown innovation to the next level,” said Pauline Mujawamariya Koelbl.

Organisations who are keen to support IPA 2017 by way of sponsorship and other means of collaboration are invited to contact AIF to arrange for meetings to discuss opportunities. These organisations may include key stakeholders from the public and private sector, including local and multi-national companies, investment companies, banks, institutional organisations, civil society organisations, innovation hubs and academic institutions.